Resilience

[oldie48]

Laminitic prone ponies are really difficult to manage. I really struggled with Big fatty, a sect C on loan from a friend, and tbh didn't feel he had much of a life. When I was ill and Rose moved to full livery he went back into the care of his owner and developed laminitis within a month and was pts. I actually felt somewhat relieved for him as he suitable for riding and he spent his life trying to eat more than was safe for him, poor boy.
edit wasn't suitable for riding

 

[SO1]

So everything had been going well since vet came 3 weeks ago and he graduated from turnout in the middle of horse walker to half a small paddock a week ago. Goes out for 2 or 3 hours a day very quiet enjoying the grass he has no desire so far to want to do anything other than walk around and eat. It is wonderful to see him in there. Made me appreciate that even a few hours in there is fantastic and he has had a lovely week enjoying the sun.

I am now confident and can ride him again in walk and trot and he is really nice to ride as he has benefited from being ridden properly by a professional 3 times a week. I also enjoy my 30 minutes lesson with her on Saturday and my riding is improving. Professional rider started cantering him last Tuesday. He struggles a bit with canter but as he has not done it since last July it must feel strange for him.

The last few days have felt wonderful. I have had Thurs and bank holiday off work. The sun shone and life felt good again with my lovely pony enjoying field time and being able to ride again and be confident was great.

Today I rode and he didn't feel quite right. It was the first time riding on my own unsupervised doing trot since his injury which was in July. Nobody experienced was on the yard to observe today. He can be stiff warming up sometimes but YO and professional said he feels so much better coming out of his stable and less stiff since he has been having turnout this last week so everyone had been pleased.

He is waiting for appointment with new saddle fitter who was meant to come this Saturday but then could not come in the end hopefully coming next Saturday as he is doing more work and having turnout he is changing shape. He does have a saddle that can be adjusted on site.

I am off work tomorrow and professional rider and YO will be on yard tomorrow so we can see how he is and video and send to the vet. He is still going to go out in his little area in the field in the morning and the plan is for YO and I to move the electric fencing tomorrow afternoon so he can have more space and grass.

Vet will of course come out if need be. It is still very busy at work so going to be hard to get any short notice time off work for vet appointments. Just hoping the little fellow is going to be ok. At least he has got to the small paddock stage now which does mean more options hopefully as it is always difficult getting them out quietly after long periods of box rest.

I still feel very anxious though and think once you have had this experience it changes you and the constant worry that something is going to go wrong.

I do wonder if once you have had a lame or unwell horse that you pick up on the niggles sooner or they seem more obvious as you are constantly looking or expecting the worse.